A Trip To The Grocery Store

These days money is tight for me. I haven't had a job now for a month and I am trying to live on the money I had saved with some help from my family. With moving and starting classes things have been a little hectic and I have not been able to look for a job. So, I have been stretching every dollar I have. This means eating simple meals, giving up a lot of "extras", and riding my bike to school. I have had to be very practical about what I do and not spend frivolously on anything. Actually, I have been making myself go days without spending anything at all. Last week the only things I spent money on were three bus rides totaling $6, a ream of paper for printing homework that was $5, and two meals with drinks totaling $9. Things have been so tight that I was a little concerned last week when my cohort of fellow grad students wanted to get together last Friday and celebrate our completing the first week of classes. I wasn't sure how I was going to swing that one, but, with much planning I managed to eat two meals with the girls and pay $16 for them. I was quite proud of myself. I was able to enjoy myself and get to know my classmates without overspending. Of course I had to be very careful and it took things like not ordering anything to drink but water, but it was do-able. So, all that said, you can imagine my excitement at being able to go to the grocery store today and get some things I need. I anticipated it all day and as I started the walk down the street towards the store I found myself feeling great. I was so excited to be in the store buying the things I both needed and wanted. I had gotten a little extra money over the weekend and decided to use some of it and splurge on some simple things that really make me happy. I gave myself a budget and entered the store ready to shop. It was absolutely wonderful to roam the aisles and look at all the stuff you could get. Of course, every time my hand went to reach for something I could not afford, I had to remind myself that I was living on small means and would have to reward myself with those things later. However, I found some great deals on the things I needed and then got a few things that would make me very happy. Most of the things I got were intended to last a while and get me through at least another two weeks before I had to buy anything else. I went through the check out and made sure the groceries were bagged appropriately so I could walk home with them. As I walked out of the store I felt like I was carrying gold in my grocery bags. For $34.69 I had gotten my necessities and my treats. I walked home with a bounce in my step, anticipating the consumption of the wonderful chips and hummus I had gotten. I know I didn't spend much and perhaps three bags of groceries doesn't seem like much to most of you, but for me it was a pile of treasures. I don't like not having money and being poor, but maybe there are some benefits to not having everything at your fingertips all the time. I think it gives you the chance to be so much more appreciative for the small things, for the things that are necessary for good living but aren't necessarily a part of surviving. Enjoying a small snack of wonderful food that I can only purchase every now and then is far more rewarding to me than having it there all the time without the appreciation of it. Although living with little to no money is difficult, it has also been a good experience for me and no matter how long this time period lasts, I am happy to say that it has made me a much more grateful person.